Michael Bennett hungrier than ever despite Super Bowl, super contract

Seahawks DE Michael Bennett returns a fumble for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints Dece. 2, 2013 at CenturyLink Field. (AP)

Despite winning a Super Bowl and signing a big offseason contract, the Seahawks’ Michael Bennett says he’s not worried about losing his edge.

The standout defensive end appeared on this week’s edition of The Barbershop on sports.mynorthwest.com to preview the start of training camp and the Seahawks’ Super Bowl title defense.

“I think it’s going to be a special season…I think we’ve got the character and the people to do it again,” says Bennett, who signed a four-year contract extension in March worth a reported $28.5 million, with $16 million guaranteed.

Bennett says he doesn’t feel any extra pressure after signing the contract. And he says head coach Pete Carroll and his staff have done a great job of moving past the Super Bowl and focusing on the season ahead.

“That’s the most important part of the recipe, is the hunger part. And we still have it, and I think that’s what’s going to make us special this year,” Bennett says.

Bennett was a human highlight reel for the Seahawks in 2013. He led the defense with 8.5 sacks during the regular season. But it was a fumble recovery and touchdown following a Cliff Avril sack against the Saints in December – and the unforgettable celebratory dance that followed – that has many still talking.

So where does the dance come from?

“I was just sitting there watching the WWE flashback and I was like ‘you know what? Mebane’s doing his dance, let me do something different from Mebane,’ and it just went on like that. It was funny.”

But Bennett says he’s all business heading into the 2014 campaign.

“I’m definitely probably more motivated than I’ve ever been this year. I just want to improve even more, because there’s another level of success I want to reach.”

And Bennett says he’s got a little extra motivation, hearing just enough from people he says aren’t giving the Seahawks their due despite all of their accomplishments last year.

“You see people talking about other guys, other defensive lines and other players, how good they are. So you definitely want to be like ‘really?! After we won the Super Bowl they’re not giving us our credit?’ It just makes you want to be more motivated this year,” he says.